


i don’t have the courage to put a question mark on the words “i can expect it”

by i_was_human



Series: D.Min Week 2021 [1]
Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Birthday, D.Min Week 2021, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28980441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: Minsoo has genuinely no clue why Dongho never seems to want to do anything for his birthday.It's not like they wouldn't do basically anything he asked. Hell, Minsoo kicks Dongho out of their shared room for at least twelve hours once a year - he'd be well within his rights to ask for pretty much anything at this point.And yet he never does.Why?
Relationships: Ahn Jaewon | Wyld & Kang Dongho | D.Min & Kim Daehyun & Lee Minsoo
Series: D.Min Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167335
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9
Collections: D.Min Birthday Week 2021





	i don’t have the courage to put a question mark on the words “i can expect it”

Dongho's never been one to celebrate his birthday.

That's not to say he never _wanted_ to. 

When he was younger, he was always so _stunned_ at the fact that some people had parents who actively celebrated their birthday. It looked- it looked so _fun_ , having all those colored streamers hung up and cake made just for them, and Dongho would be lying if he said he never envied them.

But the one time he asked his mom about it, she refused.

"Aren't you too old for birthdays?" she simply asked, and Dongho - ten-year-old Dongho - stared at the floor and tried his best not to cry.

To this day, he doesn't know if it was about the birthday specifically, or about something more. 

(not ever feeling loved. that could be it.)

And then he moved in with Jeongmin, and Jeongmin didn't celebrate his birthday either.

Sure, he _remembered_ , always made sure to greet him on the day with a smile, but they never _did anything_.

Dongho didn't mind. 

(or so he tells himself.)

And the thing is-

the thing is.

The thing is that the rest of MAYHEM _always_ celebrate.

Minsoo uses the day to drag them out for half the day, and he spends the other half holed up in his room, earbuds on and blissfully undisturbed for the next twelve hours. Daehyun uses it to bring them busking with him, and they go to a restaurant later - Daehyun's favorite that always teeters on the edge of too expensive for normal days. Jaewon uses it to ask for a group game day, and so they pull out their old board games and play, keeping a running total on a whiteboard of winners and losers before the maknaes make dinner together.

Dongho doesn't do anything.

He honestly doubts his groupmates know the date.

And that's _fine_. He's- he's used to it. 

He's fine.

* * *

Minsoo has genuinely no clue why Dongho never seems to want to do anything for his birthday.

It's not like they wouldn't do basically anything he asked. Hell, Minsoo kicks Dongho out of their shared room for at least twelve hours once a year - he'd be well within his rights to ask for _pretty much anything_ at this point.

And yet he never does.

Why?

For the most part, Minsoo's willing to chalk it up to another Kang Dongho Thing(TM) like his random skill in completely unrelated areas (see: sewing, woodworking, physics, etc.) but this somehow feels _different_.

Who doesn't celebrate their birthday?

(Kang Dongho, apparently.)

Still, he's concerned, and so he pulls Daehyun and Jaewon into the living room while Dongho's out getting groceries, because _they need to figure this out_.

"Alright," he starts, taking a seat in the chair across from Daehyun, "does anyone know why Dongho-hyung doesn't celebrate his birthday?"

Daehyun and Jaewon exchange looks for a moment before Daehyun pipes up, voice laced with hesitation. "We thought you knew, hyung..."

"Oh. I thought you knew...?"

Daehyun and Jaewon shake their heads, and Minsoo sighs, fishing out his phone. The date shines back at him - _February 16th_ \- and he sighs once more, clicking it off and sliding it back into his pocket. 

"Do we want to do something this year?"

"Should we?" Jaewon asks, expression scrunched up with pain. "I mean, if hyung doesn't like celebrating his birthday, then we'll just make him upset..."

"But if he does, then we haven't done anything for thirteen years."

Jaewon falls silent, and Daehyun raises his hand. "Shouldn't we just ask?"

"...that makes sense-"

"Or," Minsoo grins, clapping his hands with the sort of vigor only seen in mentally ill college students, "we could surprise him!"

"That's the exact opposite of what I said-"

"Let's surprise him!" Minsoo enthuses, and Daehyun sighs, resigning himself to his fate.

* * *

As it turns out, it's pretty hard to surprise someone when you have no idea what they want to do.

Minsoo spends close to an hour brainstorming ideas before eventually settling on a quiet night in - they'll make dinner, surprise Dongho with a cake, and then give him a few small gifts - but even that does little to calm him.

What if Dongho doesn't like it?

What if- what if Dongho has some sort of really specific trauma associated with his birthday? What if his parents were the type of parents to never celebrate his birthday and instead spend the day doting on a younger sibling Minsoo doesn't think he has?

That got very specific _very_ quickly.

In any case, Minsoo is _stressed_. After all, who _knows_ why Dongho doesn't want to celebrate?

He hopes he likes the gift, at least.

It's nothing big - just a plush from a game he's seen Dongho playing from time to time - and he hopes the eldest likes it, even if he doesn't seem to like plushies a lot. 

Maybe this'll be the exception.

Maybe Dongho'll hate it.

Only time will tell.

He glowers at the massive lump of wrapping paper, irritation mounting as he realizes it still looks vaguely like a cat. Or, well - a plushie that's supposed to be some sort of flat cat.

He'll get this right.

He has to.

Dongho's his best friend, after all.

* * *

Dongho has genuinely no idea what the rest of MAYHEM are doing.

Normally, this is cause for concern. The last time Minsoo ran around in secret, he was keeping a cage of hamsters in the coat closet (which have since been rehomed) but given that Daehyun and Jaewon are just as on-edge, he's completely thrown. 

What could they be hiding?

He curls up in bed, staring forlornly at the clock on his phone and watching as it ticks from _11:59_ to _12:00_.

Ah, well.

"Happy birthday," he whispers to himself, clicking off his phone and placing it on the side table. He curls up under the covers, eyes fluttering shut, and-

_"Happy birthday!"_

If asked later, Dongho will deny he shrieked. He _totally_ didn't shriek and bolt upright so quickly he whacked his head on Minsoo's bunk. Not at all.

And yet.

"Happy birthday!" Minsoo beams, plunking an oddly-shaped package into his lap. "I got this for you!"

Daehyun and Jaewon linger by the door, the former holding a cake with... highly questionable candles and the latter carrying a pair of bags, and Dongho has genuinely no idea what to say.

"...you remembered?"

"Of course we remembered," Minsoo grins, plopping down on the bed next to him. "Do you... do you wanna celebrate?"

Dongho stares down at the package in front of him, then at the candles stuck haphazardly into a cake. It's messy, it's homemade, it's kind of a disaster, it's-

everything he ever wanted.

"Yeah," he murmurs, struggling to speak around the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I do."

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for day one of d.min week 2021! prompt: birthday
> 
> please leave a comment if you enjoyed!
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


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